Cracking apparatus



E. C. BLASDELL CRACKING APPARATUS Dec. 9

Filed Mayy 20, 1924 :s sheets-sheet 1' (IlllL @www ,lwdell E. C. BLASDELL CRACKING APPARATUS 1924 5 Sheets-Sheec 2 F'i led May 2O alternar,

De@ 9i 1924. 1,518,555

E. c. BLASDELL CRACKING APPARATUS Filed May 2O,l 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 9, lim/ln A. n 1.o

application ile may 2o,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ELMER C. BLASDELL. a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of vlackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Cracking Apparatus, of which, the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus designed for distilling or cracking hydrocarbons such as petroleum distillates or the like under either atmospheric or high pressure to recover highly volatile solvents. p

The importantobject ot the invention' is to provide an apparatus including a plurality of units'einboiilying towers, which towers and unitsare arranged with such communication with each other that one or more ot the towers or units may be disconnected from the system, at-the will ot' the operator for cleaning or repairing, the remaining towers or sections being sufficient to carry on the cracking process, whiie the towers or sections are being reconditioned.

With -the foregoing vand other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in thccoin bination and arrangement of part-s and in the details ot construction hereinafter dcscribed and claimed. it being' understood that-changes in the precise embodiment of the `invention herein disclosed, may he made within the scope of what is claimed,'without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Referring` to the` drawings Fig-'ure 1 is a diagrainmatical plan View ol an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention,

s Figure 2 is a diagrammatical view oi' one ot the-sections in side elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the sections disclosing-one of the towers of the sections in longitudinal section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 ofligure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the sections. y

Referring to ,the drawings in detailrthe reference character 5 indicates a still which is oi' the usualand well known consti'action,y the still being fed with crude oil through the' pipe 6. which has communication with a suitable source ot oil supply not shown.

A gate 'valve 7 is disposed in the Ipipe line 6 andprovides means whereby the passage of oil through pipe 6 ,may he controlled,

3.953%. Serial Ylil should it be desired. to cut off this unit and supply oil to the adjacent still of the next succeeding unita v Each unit of the apparatus includes a plurality .of towers indicated generally by the reference character Sand while l have shown three ot such towers in each unitit is tc be understood that the number of towers may be .varied to meet various requirements.-

i horizontal iartitioning member 9 is disposed in each tower'and as shown, the parti'ticning member is formed with a plurality or openings to permit'vapors to pass upwardly into the upper portion oll the tower where they are condensed, the condensates falling back into the lower portion ci' the tower while the vapors pass upwardly and out through the pipe l() communicating therewith to the condenser box 11,.associated therewith. As clearly shown by Figure 5 of the draw]- ings, each tower oi a unit is supplied with a discharge pipe indicated at l0 tor directing the vapors to the condenser box associated theewith, providing various grades of cil. l

Dependiner from the partitioning incur ber 9 of each tower is a battle plate 18 which has its lower edge disposed in spaced relation with the bottom of the tower in which the saine is positioned so that liquid passing into one side of the tower willrbe directed downwardly around the battle i3 and into the pipe i4 which is shown las4 having' an elbow i5 extending downwardly into the tower. it might be further slaiedthat thc oil entering the towers, fills the bottoni pon tion thereof until the levels in the towers are in planes with the lower edges ot' the pipes le leaving the mouths ofA the elbows i5 submerged, providing a seal, to prevent theainrestricted passage of vapors through the towers, but at the saine time allow a portion of the oil and vapors to pass to the next toweroif the unit.

The feed pipe to the first toweroi". unit. A. is indicated at i6 and includes a relatively short pipe 17 that enters the lower portion of the tower as illustrated by lrigure 3 of the drawings, there'being` provided a valve l@ for controlling the passage of oil and vapor to the tower. V v

The various towers of the units are corvnected b"T pines 19 and 20 so that-as cill 'tills the ower portion of one ltower, it willv onto the nexttower through the pipe leo communicating therewith. A lateral pipe 2l communicates with pipe 16 and is sup,

piled with a valve QQ for controlling; the passage of oil through the pipe 21. Brum-h pipes 23 and 24 establish connnunication between the pipe 2l and pipes 19 and Q0. there beingprovided lQjate 'alves and 2G for controlling the passage of oil through these pipes. A; gate valve 2T is also provided in ythe pipe 2l and disposed between "the, pipes 23 and 24 to control the passage of fluid between the pipes E23 and 24.

A valve member 18 controls counuuniration between the pipe 17 and the lirst tower 8 of the unit, and a valve member 29 controls the passage of oil and vapor from the tower l. The reference character 30 indicates a valve member that controls the passage of oil and vapor into the second tower of the unit and the 'reference character 3l designates a valve membea' for controlling the passage of oil from the second tower of the unit.

The valve :32 is disposed adjacent to the third tower of the unit and isdesiened to control the passage of oil to the tower associated therewith, While the valve member 33 which is disposed along the opposite side of the tower controls the passage of oil from the tower.

At one end of the pipe 2l is a valve member 34 for controlling the passage of oil through the pipe 9.1 and allowing,r oil to be directed to the pipe 35 leading to the next .section of the system, directly froxnthe still,

should it be 'desired to cut out the towers of the first unit of the system, to repair or clean the same. Should it be desired to cut out the entire first section of the system, a feed pipe 36 is provided which communicates with the feed pipe by means of the T-eouplings 37, there being provided il tilt valve 88 for controlling the passage of fluid through this pipe 36.

The pipe 35 connnunicates wit pipe 39 through the pipe 40 and as shown, the pipe ,39 is in communication with pipe 41 which constitutes the feed pipe for the towers of the nest succeeding unit of the system and affords means whereby the crude oil may be supplied to the towers of the succeeding unit of the system should it be desired to throw the towers of the first unit of the system out of operation.

it pump 42 is in communication with pipe il-0 through the union 43 and communicates with the adjacent still through pipe 44, there being` provided a gate valve 45 for controlling the passage of fluid to the pump, while the valve 46 controls the passage of fiuid from the pump 42. Y

lf it is desired to pass fluid from pipe 40 around the pump, the valve 45l maybe closed, whereupon the fluid may enter pipe 47, the valve member 48 which is disposed in the pipe line 47 may be opened, and the valve member 46 closed. lt will thus-be obvious that the fluid will have a free passageway to the pipe 4,9 whirh communicates with vthe adjacent still of the succeeding' unit.

Pressure valves 5l are arranged at the upper ends of thc towers and may beset to regulate the pressures within the towers at whiehthe vapors may pass otl The valve member 50 is positioned in the pipe liuc 39 and when the fluid is passed through pipe 47, it is obvious that this valve inen'iber 50 is also closed. ln order that the v towers may be cooled, a collar 5l is supported on the upper end of each tower, the collars of the towers being provided with cut out portions providing passageways to allow water 'fed to Ithe collars to pass outwardly therefrom and trickleiover the external surfaces of the towers slightly reducing the tenilieratures thereof. lt might be further stated that the condenser boxes are of the usual and well known construction, and include coils 52 which are submerged in water, 90 the coils beiney in communication with a suitable storage tower not shown to receive the products of distillation. v

In the use of the apparatus, the oil enters the system through the pipe 6 whence it passes to the stil-l 5 associated therewith, the oil and vapors passing through the pipe l@ where they enter the first tower ofthe first unit of the system. The vapors now pass upwardly through the tower the condensates falling to the bottom thereof. lt will beoh vious that as the. liquidand vapors enter the tower, the temperature thereof is slightly reduced and the oil and vapors that are not carried out through the first towers enter 'the second tower of the unit at a slightly less degree of temperature, but said second tower is maintainedat a higher temperature than is the first tower` causing a vaporization of a fraction of the oil.

The vapors from the liquid in this tank pass upwardly through the tower and enter the pipe l() communicating therewith through the upper end thereof, whence the vapors are carried ott to suitable condensing blocks.

The unvaporized oil'and condensates collect at the bottom of the second tower of the unit, and pass into the third tower of the section at a slightly reduced temperature, the vapors passingupwardly through this tower where they are carried o' through the pipe 'l0 associated therewith to suitable con densingr box. The liquidl now is passed to the second unit. of the system, and enters the still associated therewith from where the vapors and liquid pass into the; rst tower of this unit and the process of' distillation described is repeated.

Should it be found necessary to discos im neet for example, unit A, valve 7 and valves 18 and 22 are closed and the valve 38 opened,

1it is to be understood that valve members 48 and 50 are closed, and the valve members 4:5 and 46 opened to permit the oil to pass through the system in this manner.

if it becomes necessary to disconnect tower number 1 of the first unit to clean or repair the same, the valve members 18 vand E9 may be closed and the valve members 22 and 2.5 may be opened. Thus it will be seen that the Huid will now pass from the still of the first unit directly to the second tower of unit A through the pipes 16, 19 and past valvemember 30.

Due to the arrangement of pipes, towers and gate Valve, it will be obvious that any one of the towers of a unit, or any unit of the system may be readily disconnected for the purpose of repair or cleaning and the system maintained in operation continuously, thereby eliminating the1 necessity of shutting down the system in order to prepare any portion of the apparatus.

I elaimz* l 1 lin an apparatus for cracking oil, a plurality of towers connected in series, valved connections between said towers whereby one or more ot' said towers may be out out of the system, a chamber in the lower portion of each tower, a baille suspended in said chamber, a pipe leading from the upper portion of each chamber and located above the lower end of the baille for conducting fluid to the ksucceeding tower, means for exter nally cooling said towers whereby certain fractions may be condensed, and means in top of each tower for withdrawing the un condensed vapors.

2. In an apparatus for cracking oil. a. plurality of towers connected in series, valvefl connections between said towers whereb \V one or more of said towers may be eut out, of the system, a chamber in the lower portion of each tower, a baille suspended in said chamber, a pipe leading from the upper portion of each chamber and located above the lower end of the baiie for conducting fluid to the succeeding tower, means on the tops of the towers for externally cooling sald towers whereby certain fractions 'may be condensed, and means in the top of each tower for withdrawing the uncondensed` vapors.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of a witness.

ELME'R C. BL'ASDELL. Witness:

I. E. STROBEL. 

